Abstract
This study examines the heterogeneity of the Mn-hyperaccumulative trait in natural stands of the Australian rainforest tree species Gossia bidwillii (Myrtaceae). It is the only known Mn hyperaccumulator from Australia, and has an unusual spatial distribution of Mn in its leaves. G. bidwillii occurs naturally on a range of Mn-containing substrates including ultramafic soils. Leaf samples were collected from individual trees and four small stands, over a longitudinal range of ∼600 km. While no variation in the spatial distribution of foliar Mn was detected, considerable variation in Mn concentration was found. G. bidwillii was shown to accumulate Mn when growing on a variety of substrates, and dry weight (DW) foliar Mn concentrations of all trees sampled ranged between 2,740 and 27,470 μg g−1. The majority of samples exceeded 10,000 μg g−1, the threshold value for Mn hyperaccumulation. The overall frequency distribution of foliar Mn concentration was found to be bimodal, with a small outlier of extreme hyperaccumulators. Highest values were obtained from trees growing on a basaltic krasnozem clay, not ultramafic soil. Soil Mn concentrations were measured, and no relationship was found between foliar Mn concentrations and extractable Mn concentrations in host substrates. Some of the variation in the Mn-hyperaccumulative trait in G. bidwillii throughout its large natural distribution may reflect the unresolved taxonomy of this most widespread species in the genus Gossia. Ability to hyperaccumulate Mn may serve as an additional diagnostic tool for resolving this taxonomy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker AJM, Brooks RR (1989) Terrestrial higher plants which hyperaccumulate metallic elements-a review of their distribution, ecology and phytochemistry. Biorecovery 1:81–126
Baker AJM, McGrath SP, Reeves RD, Smith JAC (2000) Metal hyperaccumulator plants: a review of the ecology and physiology of a biological resource for phytoremediation of metal-polluted soils. In: Terry N, Bañuelos G (eds) Phytoremediation of contaminated soil and water. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp 85–108
Baker AJM, Reeves RD, Hajar ASM (1994) Heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in british populations of the metallophyte Thlaspi caerulescens J. & C. Presl (Brassicaceae). New Phytol 127:61–68
Bidwell SD, Woodrow IE, Batianoff GN, Sommer-Knusden J (2002) Hyperaccumulation of manganese in the rainforest tree Austromyrtus bidwillii (Myrtaceae) from Queensland, Australia. Funct Plant Biol 29:899–905
Boyd RS, Martens SN (1992) The Raison d’Etre for metal hyperaccumulation by plants. In: Baker AJM, Proctor J, Reeves RD (eds) The vegetation of ultramafic (Serpentine) soils. Intercept, Andover, pp 279–289
Fernando DR, Bakkaus EJ, Perrier N, Baker AJM, Woodrow IE, Batianoff GN, Collins RN (2006a) Manganese accumulation in the leaf mesophyll of four tree species: a PIXE/EDAX localization study. New Phytol 171:751–758
Fernando DR, Batianoff GN, Baker AJ, Woodrow IE (2006b) In vivo localisation of manganese in the hyperaccumulator Gossia bidwillii (Benth.) N. Snow & Guymer (Myrtaceae) by cryo-SEM/EDAX. Plant Cell Environ 29:1012–1020
Macnair MR (2002) Within and between population genetic variation for zinc accumulation in Arabidopsis halleri. New Phytol 155:59–66
Macnair MR, Bert V, Huitson SB, Saumitou-Laprade P, Petit D (1999) Zinc tolerance and hyperaccumulation are genetically independent characters. Proc R Soc Lond 266:2175–2179
Mengoni A, Baker AJM, Bazzicalupo M, Reeves RD, Adiguzel N, Chianni E, Galardi F, Gabbrielli R, Gonnelli C (2003) Evolutionary dynamics of nickel hyperaccumulation in Alyssum revealed by ITS nrDNA analysis. New Phytol 159:691–699
Pollard AJ, Powell KD, Harper FA, Smith JA (2002) The genetic basis of metal hyperaccumulation in plants. Crit Rev Plant Sci 21:539–566
Reeves RD, Baker AJM (2000) Metal-accumulating plants. In: Raskin I, Ensley BD (eds) Phytoremediation of toxic metals: using plants to clean up the environment. Wiley, New York, pp 193–221
Reeves RD, Baker AJM (1984) Studies on metal uptake by plants from serpentine and non-serpentine populations of Thlaspi goesingense Halacsy (Cruciferae). New Phytol 98:191–204
Snow N, Guymer GP, Sawvel G (2003) Systematics of Austromyrtus, Lenwebbia, and the Australian species of Gossia (Myrtaceae). In: Proceedings of the systematic botany monographs. The University of Michigan Herbarium, Michigan
Xue SG, Chen YX, Baker AJM (2005) Manganese uptake and accumulation by two populations of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae). Water Air Soil Pollut 160:3–14
Xue SG, Chen YX, Reeves RD, Baker AJM, Lin Q, Fernando DR (2004) Manganese uptake and accumulation by the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae). Environ Pollut 131:393–399
Acknowledgements
The use of the nuclear microprobe facility at the Laboratoire Pierre Süe, CEA (Commisariat à l’Energie Atomique), Saclay, France, is gratefully acknowledged. We are particularly indebted to Laurent Daudin for his invaluable contribution of time and expertise in the area of micro-PIXE, and also to Jean-Paul Gallien and Hicham Khodja. We thank Gordon Guymer from the Queensland Herbarium for his taxonomic advice.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fernando, D.R., Woodrow, I.E., Bakkaus, E.J. et al. Variability of Mn hyperaccumulation in the Australian rainforest tree Gossia bidwillii (Myrtaceae). Plant Soil 293, 145–152 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9269-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9269-6